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Votes at a glance: Finance, Ways and Means committee actions — April 15, 2025
Summary
The committee considered 18 bills in a calendar session and approved each item to advance to calendar and rules. This roundup lists each bill taken up on April 15, with the committee vote tally and a brief description.
The Finance, Ways and Means Committee advanced multiple bills to calendar and rules on April 15. Below are the items taken up on the committee calendar, each followed by the committee vote total and a brief description based on the committee presentation.
- House Bill 6-20 (Chairman Eldridge): Allow Hamblen County to participate in the convenient voting centers pilot program. Vote: 23 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 3-81 (Chairman Eldridge): Premier resort omnibus bill. Vote: 17 ayes, 3 nays, 5 present not voting.
- House Bill 11-25 (Chairman Farmer): Education personnel protections and estate reimbursement for unused leave; amended; allows certain protections for teachers transferring midyear and estate reimbursement. Vote: 26 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 11-28 (Chairman Farmer): Certification for county constables to become POST-certified; permissive policy. Vote: 26 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 4-87 (Chairman Farmer): County clerk fee (additional $2) to support courtroom security and training. Vote: 26 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 4-91 (Chairman Farmer): Acceptance of approximately $120 million into the opioid abatement settlement fund as presented by the attorney general's office. Vote: 26 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 12-04 (Chairman Kumar): Changes to DUI evidence and license-suspension procedures including oral swabs and an added 6-month suspension for refusal when resistance prevents blood draw; clarifies suspension inversions; vote: 22 ayes, 0 nays, 4 present not voting.
- House Bill 13-73 (Chairman White): Make the school turnaround pilot program permanent and expand the number of priority schools eligible from five to up to 15. Vote: 23 ayes, 2 nays, 1 present not voting.
- House Bill 6-36 (Representative Burkhart): Expand permissive county collection authority to allow county tax collection for cities in certain circumstances; amended to clarify collection for cities like Franklin. Vote: 25 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 9-77 (Representative Burkhart): Adjust bridge-eligible retirement draw periods for public safety employees allowing draw until later ages under permissive local adoption. Vote: 25 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 13-25 (Representative Bridal): Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund (voluntary conservation-easement tool included in the governor's budget); vote: 23 ayes, 1 nay.
- House Bill 9-23 (Representative Mayberry): Prohibits state, local and higher-education offices or programs that "promote or require discriminatory preferences" in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion; the committee adopted a motion and advanced the bill. Vote: 20 ayes, 7 nays.
- House Bill 7-83 (Representative Martin): Pilot regulatory framework for sober-living homes (Hamilton County pilot) including proximity limits and minimum standards; committee noted compliance requirements with the Fair Housing Act and ADA. Vote: 25 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 8-16 (Representative Travis): Reduce maximum assessed points for driving-privilege violations from 8 to 4 for specified offenses; vote: 24 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting.
- House Bill 152 (Representative Ryan): Permissive local option to allow electronic participation in local legislative bodies; vote: 24 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 6-27 (Chairman Crawford): Limits on lodging taxes and definitions for tourism development; grandfathered existing short-term rental arrangements; vote: 26 ayes, 0 nays.
- House Bill 9-79 (Chairman Williams): Allows certain hospitals in small counties to employ radiologists, anesthesiologists, pathologists and ER physicians under updated workforce rules; vote: 23 ayes, 3 nays.
Ending: All of the above bills were approved by the committee and advanced to calendar and rules; several measures were amended on the floor or have follow-up drafts expected, as noted in committee.
